The finite element analysis of the behaviour of airframes subjected to crash or impactloadings requires the use of suitable finite elements, in particular for the modelling ofriveted assemblies. In order to predict the structure survivability, it is indeednecessary to focus on these areas because stress concentrations, and consequently crackinitiations, which can lead to catastrophic loss of the airplane, are likely to occur.Because of the local nature of the phenomenon, the disproportion between the aircraft andthe assembly scale, and the large number of fasteners in a complete structure (more than100 000), super-elements for the fasteners and for the perforated sheets have beendeveloped in order to suitably model assemblies in structural calculations. However, thesetwo types of finite elements can not be currently connected together. The paper presentedhere focuses on how to link these finite elements.
